Cancer changes everything, but it makes you wonder—am I still enough? - Serial focus groups with adolescent and young adult cancer patients to understand experiences with cancer and sexual and reproductive health

Sep 23, 2026

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Cancer and its treatment affect sexual and reproductive health in adolescents and young adults (AYA, ages 15–39), yet these experiences remain insufficiently understood. This patient-oriented serial focus group study explores sexual and reproductive health during and beyond treatment using three serial, support-group–emulating cohorts, co-facilitated with a patient research partner and analyzed via framework analysis. Forty-eight participants across eight cohorts contributed 24 focus groups. Findings form a final framework of two thematic areas: patients’ experiences and their responses, informing appropriate, affirming support.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryHealthcare

FormatPDF

Pages13

Reading Time33 min

AccessFree to download

Abstract

Background

Methods

Results

Conclusion

Introduction

Oveisi etal. BMC Cancer (2025) 25:1253 BMC Cancer [https://doi.org/10.1186/s12885-025-14561-7](https://doi.org/10.1186/s12885-025-14561-7) RESEARCH Open Access “Cancer changes everything, but it makes you wonder—am I still enough?”serial focus groups with adolescent and young adult cancer patients to understand experiences with cancer and sexual and reproductive health Niki Oveisi 1,2, Vicki Cheng 1,2, Dani Taylor3, Preet Kang 1,2, Lori A. Brotto4, Stuart Peacock5,6, Helen McTaggart-Cowan5,6, Gillian E. Hanley4, Sharlene Gill4, Meera Rayar 1,4, Amirrtha Srikanthan7,8,9, Mikaela Barnes3, Haydn Bechthold3, Norman Jansen3 and Mary A. De Vera 1,2,10* Abstract Background The impacts of cancer and its treatment on sexual and reproductive health among adolescents and young adults (AYA, ages 15–39) are not understood. We conducted a patient-oriented, novel serial focus group study to explore the sexual and reproductive health experiences of AYA cancer patients during and beyond treatment. Methods Participants (≥ 18 years) who were diagnosed with cancer between 15 and 39 years and reside in Canada were assigned to respective focus group cohorts based on shared characteristics (e. g., gender, cancer stage) . Each cohort participated in three serial focus groups that emulated support groups, fostering a sense of community. Focus groups were co-facilitated with a patient research partner (PRP) and guided by a topic guide co-created with PRPs. Framework analysis involving steps of familiarizing with transcripts, identifying thematic framework, indexing data sections by theme, extracting and organizing data into charts, and analyzing charts, were applied to transcripts. Results Altogether, 48 AYA cancer patients, divided into 8 cohorts, participated in a total of 24 focus groups. Cohorts included: cis-gender women (n = 10), 2SLGBTQIA+ (n = 7), Black, Indigenous, and People of Colour (BIPOC; n = 7), cis-gender men (n = 6), breast cancer (n = 6), pelvic cancer (n = 6), diagnosed during adolescence (ages 15 to 19; n = 4), and stage 4 (n = 3) (one individual participated in two cohorts) . Cohorts had representation of nonbinary and gender fluid participants (n = 4), non-heterosexual sexual orientation (n = 14), and racial diversity (n = 12) . The final framework encompassed two thematic areas broadly categorized as patients’ experiences (“what is happening to them”) and their responses (“how they are reacting or acting”) . The first thematic area (three themes), focused inward *Correspondence: Mary A. De Vera[mdevera@mail.ubc.ca](mdevera@mail.ubc.ca) Full list of author information is available at the end of the article © The Author(s) 2025. Open Access This article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License, which permits use, sharing, adaptation, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, as long as you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons licence, and indicate if changes were made. The images or other third party material in this article are included in the article’s Creative Commons licence, unless indicated otherwise in a credit line to the material. If material is not included in the article’s Creative Commons licence and your intended use is not permitted by statutory regulation or exceeds the permitted use, you will need to obtain permission directly from the copyright holder. To view a copy of this licence, visit [http://creativecommons.org/l](http://creativecommons.org/l)icenses/by/4.0/. Oveisi et al. BMC Cancer (2025) 25:1253 Page 2 of 13 on the direct effects of cancer and its treatment on patients’ sexual and reproductive health. The second thematic area (three themes), looks outward at the external impacts, capturing how cancer affects aspects of patients’ sexual and reproductive health, including relationships, societal expectations, and community support. Conclusion Uncovering the profound an

FAQs

What is the main aim of this serial focus group study?

To understand AYA cancer patients’ experiences with cancer and their sexual and reproductive health during and beyond treatment.

How were participants assigned to focus group cohorts?

Participants (aged 18+) diagnosed with cancer between ages 15 and 39 and residing in Canada were allocated to cohorts based on shared characteristics such as gender and cancer stage.

What themes emerged from the study’s analysis?

The final framework included two broad thematic areas: patients’ experiences (“what is happening to them”) and their responses (“how they are reacting or acting”).

Sep 23, 2026

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